


Hyperventilation

by eclecticat



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Angst, Boss/Employee Relationship, Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 00:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9573926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclecticat/pseuds/eclecticat
Summary: Kyungsoo hyperventilates and he doesn’t know what or who to blame: the combination of black coffee and Red Bull he had for breakfast or the captivating sight of Kim Jongin.Probably both.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written around October 2013.
> 
> Do not drink coffee + Red Bull! Ever!  
> It is one of my stupidest decisions ever.  
> Never again.

Do Kyungsoo’s office desk has been cleaned to perfection for the nth time, the bottle of isopropyl alcohol almost half-empty by the end of the 10 minute break he personally schedules for “Cleaning Time”. His monitor is stripped off its plastic, his keyboard without a trace of dust, his tray of documents meticulously arranged alphabetically and based on their importance, his notepads and pens carefully placed on one side of his table.

 

Kyungsoo praises himself internally because he read in an article last night that it’s the little things that counts and isn’t a simple feat like this considered under the category of ‘little things that counts’? He smiles to himself as he jots down a thick, black line on the “Cleaning Time” part of his Things-To-Do List. Beside Kyungsoo’s area sits a bored Byun Baekhyun who is trying real hard to stay awake and focus on the monumental amount of tasks to do, but really the latest update on One Piece is a good enough excuse to procrastinate. Kyungsoo ignores the whispered curses that comes out of Baekhyun’s mouth and focuses intently on his Things-To-Do List:

 

 ~~Draft the Solicitation Letter~~ , ~~Email Latest Catalogue to New Clients~~ , ~~Cleaning Time,~~ Call the Korean Embassy, Attend Meeting with the Ad Agency

 

He tries real hard to remember why he has to call the embassy. He really does because he’s like that – a combination of a forgetful blob and a professional OC/DC. Kyungsoo sips the usual black coffee he gets every lunch time from the coffee shop a block away from his office as he taps a pen in the table. Why the Korean Embassy again? Suddenly, there’s an annoying tap in his shoulder and he looks to his left only to see a smirking Byun Baekhyun pointing at something, or rather somebody, in front of their peripheral vision. With eyebrows furrowed together, Kyungsoo looks in front of him only to see the most captivating person he has ever seen since he became an employee of the Kim Enterprise.

 

Kyungsoo doesn’t know if it’s the Redbull he had for breakfast or the black coffee he is currently sipping or maybe the fact that Kim Jongin is in front of him or a deadly combination of all three that makes his heart ram against his chest in a very furious manner. His breathing turns ragged as he tries very hard to be inconspicuous in his attempt to stare at his boss’ boss.

 

The first time Kyungsoo met Jongin was in the elevator and it was the most terrifying elevator trip he has ever had. Ever since that incident, Kyungsoo makes sure he arrives 10 minutes earlier than his boss’ boss because really his heart just can’t take the beauty that is Kim Jongin. Jongin is the youngest among a family of business-oriented people. He is also the only son which makes him a surefire contender to be the next Kim Enterprise CEO.

 

Kyungsoo has Jongin’s _‘usual office schedule’_ memorized by his 5th day at work. Jongin arrives at exactly 9 in the morning with his black leather messenger bag, his crisp suit tailored fit and his not-so-pointed black leather shoes (which Kyungsoo recently came to realize is worth his 10-months’ salary). The ringing sound that the elevator finally arrived at Kyungsoo’s floor warns Kyungsoo that the adorable boss of his boss is finally in the same floor as his. Kyungsoo proceeds to check himself in the mirror and attempt to put lip gloss on his lips (because really nobody cannot not use lip gloss). In just a matter of seconds, Kyungsoo hears the familiar sound of Jongin’s shoes clicking against the marble floor of their office and it creates an eccentric rhythm with Kyungsoo’s erratic heartbeat, but only Kyungsoo recognizes this and he tries so hard to focus on the reality that the boss of his boss aka Kim Jongin is slowly moving towards him, his face void of any expression and his left hand carrying the usual black coffee at Starbucks (which again Kyungsoo attempted to mimic only to realize that such a habit will cost him a negative balance on his bank account at the end of each month seeing that Starbucks sells all kinds of high-priced shits that are really cheap in real life). Jongin’s head moves from one side to another with each graceful step and Kyungsoo takes note of how Jongin’s head-wobbling could be put to good use once his lips crash into Jongin’s plump ones.

 

But of course that will never happen because Kyungsoo is just a mere employee in the jungle that is owned by Kim Jongin.

 

Kyungsoo jerks his head from side to side in attempt to bring his attention back to the current reality. It seems like Jongin came from a meeting of some sort, a faint trace of a smile lingers on Jongin’s face as he converses with a woman who is too close for comfort (in Kyungsoo’s opinion). Jongin’s grip on his usual Starbucks coffee tightens as he sips the contents while adjusting his hold on the pile of folders that were stuck in between his left arm and his chest. The woman sees this and takes the pile of folders from Jongin. There’s a millisecond of refusal and a couple seconds of gratitude. Kyungsoo’s lips turn into a thin line. He doesn’t fail to see the subtle touching of hands between the two individuals, the flirtatious smiles on their faces and the way Jongin leans forward to the woman in an attempt to smell her new perfume. The woman giggles and Kyungsoo balls his fist.

 

Kyungsoo heaves a sigh and forces himself to go back to reality.

 

He is a mere pawn in the chessboard headed by Jongin who is the king.

 

Inhale reality, exhale fantasy. Repeat endlessly.

 

Kyungsoo tries to focus on his Things-To-Do List, as if it would help him numb the pain that is slowly etching itself in his heart. He really does try and once the list renders itself useless he moves to tap gibberish in MS Word – Document22, Calibri, Font 8, Left-Aligned. Soon enough the gibberish turns cloudy and heavy and Kyungsoo realizes that his eyesight has turned blurry and wet. He hastily gets a tissue paper from inside his bag, only to find it after furiously throwing every piece of content on his now messy desk. Bus tickets from the previous day and receipts of lunch-outs clutter his desk along with his wallet, phone and house keys. He dabs the rough quality of tissue in his eyes, not caring if he hurts himself in the process.

 

The familiar sound of Kim Jongin’s leather shoes click against the marble flooring. Kyungsoo looks at himself in the mirror, makes sure he looks normal and coughs imaginary sickness to ease the tension that are slowly bubbling inside his system. He puts lip gloss out of habit (because now he is sure that that is the only thing he can afford) and proceeds to peek from above his pedestal. Kim Jongin’s face is full of happiness and a part of Kyungsoo’s creative brain tells him that said happiness is the woman’s fault, but Kyungsoo shakes the thought away. Jongin’s head-wobbling is ever-so-present, but is also upgraded into a head-wobbling plus a finger-drumming to any tangible thing close enough for his fingers to reach. The clickity-clacking of Jongin’s leather shoes fail to create an eccentric rhythm in Kyungsoo’s heartbeat. Instead, there’s a seemingly annoying combination of Kyungsoo’s heavy breathing and ramming heart and Jongin’s senseless finger-drumming and leather shoes clicking against marble floors. It suffocates Kyungsoo quite literally and he finds his hands thumping his chest ever so lightly. Kyungsoo looks up and regrets it instantly – Jongin’s eyes land on his.

 

Jongin smiles just a little while Kyungsoo cries just a little.

 

In a matter of seconds, Kyungsoo’s so-called happiness bubble vanishes just as Jongin walks pass Kyungsoo’s desk and goes inside his own private office.

 

This time, Kyungsoo is now sure that his hyperventilation has nothing to do either with the Redbull he had for breakfast or the black coffee he is sipping – Kim Jongin’s the culprit all along.


End file.
